Just Like a Spark
by theletterdee
Summary: tumblr prompt fill, anon asked for "Matthew taking care of Alice", enjoy!


**_"nobody knows why / nobody knows how and / this feeling begins just like a spark / tossing and turning inside of your heart / exploding in the dark"_**

 _this is the fluff version of an anon asking for "Matthew taking care of Alice", a second version of another way Matthew could take care of Alice will be coming shortly. title comes from the song "Here With Me" by Susie Suh_

* * *

Alice Harvey did not get sick often, this was known.

Alice Harvey did not get sick often, and when she did, it came full tilt.

She woke that morning to a scratchy, sore throat, a runny nose, teary eyes, and shivering underneath her bed covers.

' _Oh great_.'

Somehow, Alice managed to pull herself out of bed and shuffled to the phone - pausing briefly to wait for her world to stop tilting on its axis. Blinking through the tears and slightly swollen eyelids, Alice carefully dialed the hospital. After explaining that she'd be out for the day, Alice hung up and dialed Jean's number - already dreading how much she'd hover the second she found out Alice was sick.

" _Blake Residence, Superintendent Lawson speaking_."

Oh… _oh_ , this was going to be interesting.

Alice cleared her throat (ignoring the way her cheeks flushed at the sound of Matthew's voice, maybe she could blame it on whatever bug she caught) and coughed into her sleeve. "Matthew."

" _Alice? Is everything alright?_ "

"I'm fine, it's just a little cold," she coughed again and again and again, until she finally caught her breath.

" _That didn't sound like a little cold, Alice_ ," Matthew spoke when she stopped.

"I'm the doctor," Alice squeaked out.

" _You're also coughing up a lung_."

"I'm fine, I'll just take today and recover. I was calling to let Jean know so she could pass on to you that you'll have to find a locum today for any cases."

He was silent for awhile and Alice wondered if they lost connection through the phone, but he finally sighed, " _You should probably take more than a day, but thank you, Alice. If we get any new cases, I'll get a locum to step in._ "

"Thank you, Matthew."

" _Feel better and take care of yourself, or I'll send Jean over to hover._ " His laughter rippled down the line when Alice made a noise halfway between a frustrated sigh and a whine.

"Deal." Alice twirled the phone cord around her fingers and looked down at her feet. "Stay safe out there, Matthew."

" _I will_."

Returning the phone to its cradle, Alice poured herself a glass of water and returned to her bedroom - fully intent on sleeping for the next twenty-four hours and not leaving her bed for any reason.

She'd muscle through it, just like she had in the past.

* * *

Matthew stared at the phone in his hand, chewing on his inner cheek as he thought. Placing it down in the cradle, he drummed his fingers on the table.

"Who was that?" Jean asked as she entered the kitchen, tying her apron around her waist.

"Alice, she called to say she was taking the day."

"Oh? What for?"

"In her words 'just a little cold', but it sounded like she was coughing up a lung."

Jean frowned, "And you're worried about her."

He dragged a hand over his face, "...Yeah, I am. I just… I don't know what to do."

She smiled and directed him towards the stove, "Come on, I'll show you."

* * *

Matthew shifted on the front step to Alice's rented bungalow - armed with a basket of food Jean helped him make, medicine from Lucien's study, and a thermos of tea, he rang the doorbell and hoped Alice wouldn't be irritated too much.

It took awhile for Alice to answer the door and he had to bite down on the grin that threatened to spread across his face at her utterly confused look.

"Matthew?" she frowned, her eyes blinking blearily in the mid-morning sun. Matthew thought she looked adorable, wrapped up in her robe, her hair sleep-tousled, and the end of her nose pink.

"I brought food and medicine, figured you'd need it."

Alice sighed and gave him an irritated look, "I told you that I'd be fine." The severity of her statement crumbled when she coughed into her sleeve and she flushed at Matthew's raised eyebrows.

"Oh…" Alice huffed. "Oh, alright, come in. But don't get mad at me if you catch it!"

He followed Alice into her house, briefly hanging up his jacket and hat by the door, and limped into the kitchen. He pulled out the food and turned to Alice watching him in the doorway.

"Hungry at all?"

She shook her head, "Not really. I could go for a cuppa though."

Alice laughed when Matthew pulled out the thermos with a flourish.

"Would you like it in here, or…?"

"I really should lay down," she rasped, coughing into her robe sleeve again. "If you don't mind?"

"Not at all, go back to bed, I'll bring it to you." Matthew turned back to the cupboards, pulling down a mug for both of them when he felt Alice shuffle close. Lips, chapped and slightly too warm, pressed against his cheek and he looked down to see her lean her head against his shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked her quietly.

"I feel like I'm dying," she quipped, smiling when he laughed. "But other than that I'm fine. Don't you have work to do?"

Matthew pressed a kiss to her feverish forehead, frowning slightly at how hot her skin was. "I called in, took the day. Someone's gotta take care of our police surgeon."

"I wasn't aware a Superintendent's duties extended to playing nursemaid to a sick pathologist."

He grinned and pressed another kiss to her forehead, "They do when the particular pathologist is a cute one."

Alice laughed, her laughter dying in a coughing fit, but she stayed leaning against Matthew as he finished preparing their tea.

"I'm going to be a horrible patient, Matthew, but… thank you, for checking up on me and coming to look after me."

Pressing a mug into her hands, Matthew kissed her cheek, "You're welcome, sweetheart."


End file.
